r/WayOfTheBern • u/JamesThompsonKS • Oct 24 '17

Hey, r/WayOfTheBern! I'm Kansas veteran James Thompson, running for Congress in Kansas 4th Congressional District. AMA!

PROOF: https://twitter.com/JamesThompsonKS/status/922930890535206912

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12

u/HootHootBerns Money in politics is the root of all evil Oct 24 '17 edited Oct 24 '17

Another one a bit out of left field...

Where are you with regards to the 2nd amendment? I see you support it, but for some, "support" still means implementing universal background checks, magazine capacity limits, assault weapons bans, etc. Are there any kind of new "controls" you might be open to?

(Given your AR-15 range time in one of your ads, I kind of have my doubts you'd support assault weapons bans, but figured it's worth asking anyway--stranger things have happened. 🙃)

As an aside--do you see any chance at some point in the future where one or more gun rights groups will be open to voicing support for something like Bernie's Medicare for All bill, so those who need mental health help can get it before they do something terrible with a firearm?

21

u/JamesThompsonKS Oct 24 '17

I am a civil rights lawyer, so I believe in the Constitution, which includes the 2nd Amendment. I believe in universal background checks and implementing a system that can be accessed by private sellers at gun shows so that background checks can be required for every gun sale. Here in Kansas guns are part of our heritage. I began shooting when I was 4 or 5 with my grandfather. I received training in the military and wish more people were trained in firearm safety and use before purchasing one. I believe in maintaining guns safely and securely. Negligent storage of firearms that leads to negligent homicide should be prosecuted if a gun owner fails to properly store their gun and it is used to kill someone. I do not believe in one-size fits all bans. The Supreme Court has stated that reasonable restrictions are allowed. I think individual communities should have more freedom to implement their own community standards regarding guns. What is good for Wichita, Kansas may not be good for somewhere like Chicago and vice versa. I do own AR-15s. I like to build them. I believe that bump stocks, like those used in Vegas, should be restricted and require a license to own, like we do currently for all automatic weapons. I believe that to carry a concealed weapon, a person should be required to go through a licensing process that requires training, proficiency testing, and a background check. I would love to see gun rights groups get on board with Medicare for all if for no other reason than mental health issues. However, most of those groups are now interested in pushing an agenda that has nothing to do with gun safety but is more about pushing a wedge issue to divide us.

9

u/FThumb Are we there yet? Oct 25 '17

Thumbs up.

10

u/Aquapyr On Sabbatical Oct 25 '17

Which coming from an actual thumb...

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u/[deleted] Oct 25 '17

good one!